Package

ABSTRACT

A disposable container or package for fluent material, formed from a laminated web comprising a support layer and a heatsealable thermoplastic layer, has a pouring opening with a closure strip tightly closing the opening. That part of the strip which is in the region of said opening is recessed by thermoforming, so that the major portion of the recessed part of the strip extends past the inside edge of the opening, which strip portion is wider than is the opening.

United States Patent Rausing et a1.

[ 1 Aug. 19, 1975 1 PACKAGE [75] Inventors: Hans A. Rausing, Lund; Jan-Erik Olsen, Malmo; Jan Axel lngemar Rauser, Lomma, all of Sweden [73] Assignee: Tetra Pak Development SA,

Lausanne, Switzerland [22} Filed: Feb. 11, 1974 [21] Appl, No: 441,218

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 20, 1973 Switzerland 2410/73 [52] U5. C1 229/7 R; 229/17 R; 117/68 [51] Int. Cl. B65D 5/12 [58] Field of Search 229/7 R, 17; 117/68 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,520,527 12/1924 Brooks 229/7 R Z.l53 91l 4/1939 Benedetti 229/7 R X 2,309,144 l/l943 Taylor 229/7 R 2,784,892 3/1957 Feher 229/7 R 2,983,962 5/1961 Merz et al 161/161 3,039,669 6/1962 Hill 229/7 R X 3,213,071 10/1965 Campbell 161/161 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 363,931 9/1962 Switzerland 229/7 R Primary ExaminerDavis T. Moorhead Attorney, Agent, or FirmPierce, Scheffler & Parker 1 5 7 ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PACKAGE The present invention relates to a package of disposable character and of the type which is manufactured from a laminated material comprising a support material layer and at least one heat-sealable thermoplastic layer, which package is provided with a pouring opening and a closure strip which is applied over the pouring opening.

On packages of disposable character manufactured of sealable laminate material already on the market the opening devices were brought about on the one hand by tearing indications in the form of a perforation of the packing material, on the other hand by punching out holes in the package.

The manufacture of the said packages becomes relatively complicated, since the packing material has to be made tight after it has been perforated or holes have been punched into the same. This'tightening can be carried out in that after the perforation the packing material is lined with plastic on the inside or, if holes have been punched into the packing material, the holes are covered with plastic strips on the inside and possibly packages mentioned above is that it is not possible toproduce a simple and tight closing of the package once it has been opened.

All these disadvantages are overcome by the application of a package in accordance with the present invention, which is characterized in that a closure strip is applied over the pouring hole so that the part of the strip which is in the region of the pouring opening is given a recessed position by means of thermoforming, the

main part of the recessed part extending past the inside edge of the pouring opening, and that the part of the closure strip which extends past the inside edge of the pouring opening has a cross-sectional area parallel to the pouring opening which is larger than the area of the pouring opening.

In the following will be described an embodiment of the invention with reference to the enclosed schematic drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows the upper part of the package with a closure strip applied thereto,

FIG. 2 shows a section through the closure strip and the package wall, and

FIG. 3 shows an example of the anchoring of the closure strip.

The package in accordance with the invention may consist appropriately, as is shown in FIG. 1, of a number of plane wall sections 1. In one of these plane wall sections, preferably the top one, a pouring opening 5 is provided, and over the pouring opening 5 and the region around the same a closure strip 2 is applied, the

recess 3 of which extends past the inside edge 4 of the pouring opening 5.

The walls of the package may consist appropriately of a laminated material containing a support material of e.g. paper or foamed polystyrene and a homogeneous, thermoplastic material, e.g. homogeneous polystyrene, coated on at least one side of the support material.

Into one of the walls of the package a pouring opening is punched which is given such a shape that the contents of the package can be emptied out in a well collected, straight forwards directed jet. Over and around' the pouring opening a closure strip of a formable, appropriately thermoformable material, eg polystyrene, is provided. So as to obtain a tight closure between the package and the closure strip "the closure strip has to be manufactured of a material which is adapted so that it can be sealed againstthe outside layer of the package wall. In this case, if polystyrene is used as a coating material on the supportmaterial, the closure strip must also be made of polystyrene.

The said closure strip can be applied and formed on the package either in connection with the forming of the package or after the package has been filled with the intended contents. The application and forming of the closure strip takes place so that the strip is applied over the pouring opening, whereupon a recessed form is imparted to the strip in the region of the pouring opening. This recessed form can be produced either by forming the closure strip by means of a pressing tool after heating, or by forming a pressure difference between the two sides of the strip, the higher pressure acting against the outside of the packing strip. This pressure difference is achieved in that air is evacuated from the side of the packing material which is intended to form the inside of the package, or at least from the region nearest the edge of the pouring opening. The said pressure difference can also be obtained, in that the pressure is increased on the side of the packing material which is intended to form the outside of the package. If the closure strip is formed in connection with the formation of the package it is appropriate to apply, at the instant of forming, a plate under the pouring opening, in order to prevent that the recess of the closure strip extends too far into the package. It is desirable that the part of the closure strip which extends into the package should have a relatively plane shape at the same time as extending past the inside edge of the pouring opening. If the closure strip is manufactured of a thermoformable material it is appropriate to apply the pressure difference only after the part of the strip, which is in the region of the pouring opening, has been warmed up to formable consistency. The pressure difference between the two sides of the closure strip is to be adjusted to such a size, that the strip forms a recessed part 3 which extends past the inside edge 4 of the opening hole, and so that the cross-sectional area of the recessed part which is formed under the inside edge of the pouring opening is larger than the area of the pouring opening.

In order to obtain a grip lug, some of the outer edges of the closure strip have a part which is not sealed to the package. In the embodiment which is shown in FIG. 1 the closure strip is folded down over the edge 7 of the package and the folded down part is not sealed to the wall of the package 1. If it is desired to lay open the pouring opening, the grip lug is seized and the closure strip is removed. I

In the case where the closure strip has been scaled to the outer layer of the laminated material of the package, the removal and splitting of the outer layer of the laminated material can take place in the area of the pouring opening, and the closure strip is anchored in the thermoplastic layer of the packing material so that the closure strip remains at hand for re-closing.

Another embodiment, comprising an anchoring of 5 the closure strip in the thermoplastic layer of the packing material after the opening of the package, consists in that a region in the direct vicinity of any one of the edges of the closure strip is folded over 180 and sealed in the region of the pouring opening at the same time as the forming of the closure strip takes place as described above. If this method of folding the closure strip over 180 is applied, it is appropriate to punch a score in the outer homogeneous plastic layer between the pouring opening and the folded over part of the closure strip. The said score prevents the splitting of the outer plastic layer from extending past the folded over part.

By virtue of the cross-sectional area of the recessed part of the closure strip parallel to the wall of the package, wherein the pouring opening is situated, being larger than the area of the pouring opening, it is possible to re-obtain a relatively tight closure after the package has been opened. The recessed part 3 of the closure strip is applied on re-closure to the pouring opening, and by a slight pressure the said part 3 is slightly deformed, so that it is given temporarily the same crosssectional areas as that of the pouring opening, which makes it possible for this part of the closure strip to pass through the pouring opening. After passing through the pouring opening this recessed part resumes its original shape and forms a tight closure against the wall of the package which is in the region of the pouring opening.

I claim:

1. A disposable package comprising a container body formed of a laminated material having a support layer and an outer layer of heat sealable thermoplastic material thereon and having a flat top panel provided with a pouring opening therein, a closure strip covering said opening, at least a portion of said closure strip being sealed to the outer layer of the top panel in the area surrounding said opening, that portion of said strip which covers said opening being recessed into said opening, said recessed portion extending into said container body beyond the inner surface of said top panel and having a surface parallel to the inner surface of said top panel and an area larger than that of said opening to releasably engage the periphery of said opening and secure the recessed portion of said strip within said opening, a portion of the closure strip remote from said opening being folded under through 180 and sealed to the outer layer of said top panel, said outer layer being scored beneath said closure strip between the pouring opening and the portion of said strip which is folded under to resist tearing, when said package is opened, of the outer layer where the folded portion of said closure strip is sealed to said outer layer.

2. A disposable package as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a part of said closure strip surrounding said opening is not sealed to the outer surface of said top panel.

3. A disposable package as claimed in claim I wherein the laminated material comprises a support layer of foamed plastic material and layers of homogeneous plastic material on both sides thereof.

4. A disposable package as claimed in claim 3 wherein said support layer is composed of foamed polystyrene and the outer layers are composed of homoge-' wherein said closure strip is composed of polystyrene. 

1. A disposable package comprising a container body formed of a laminated material having a support layer and an outer layer of heat sealable thermoplastic material thereon and having a flat top panel provided with a pouring opening therein, a closure strip covering said opening, at least a portion of said closure strip being sealed to the outer layer of the top panel in the area surrounding said opening, that portion of said strip which covers said opening being recessed into said opening, said recessed portion extending into said container body beyond the inner surface of said top panel and having a surface parallel to the inner surface of said top panel and an area larger than that of said opening to releasably engage the periphery of said opening and secure the recessed portion of said strip within said opening, a portion of the closure strip remote from said opening being folded under through 180* and sealed to the outer layer of said top panel, said outer layer being scored beneath said closure strip between the pouring opening and the portion of said strip which is folded under to resist tearing, when said package is opened, of the outer layer where the folded portion of said closure strip is sealed to said outer layer.
 2. A disposable package as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a part of said closure strip surrounding said opening is not sealed to the outer surface of said top panel.
 3. A disposable package as claimed in claim 1 wherein the laminated material comprises a support layer of foamed plastic material and layers of homogeneous plastic material on both sides thereof.
 4. A disposable package as claimed in claim 3 wherein said support layer is composed of foamed polystyrene and the outer layers are composed of homogeneous polystyrene.
 5. A disposable package as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure strip is composed of polystyrene. 